2021 Cherokee, NC, Fishing Tournament Lineup
3.1.2021
We’re excited to announce the Cherokee fishing tournaments for 2021! Cherokee boasts 30 miles of streams, making it the longest privately-owned stocked waters east of the Mississippi. For more than 50 years, Cherokee has had one of the greatest stocking programs in all of the US, with almost 300,000 rainbow, brook, and brown trout stocked annually. No wonder it's known as one of the best places to fish!
Cherokee’s fishing tournaments offer friendly competition and big payouts, and, if you’re really lucky, you may even see some elk! Just make sure you carry your permit when you fish the Qualla Boundary. You can’t fish or enter a tournament without one. Register and buy a permit online or find a licensed sales agent at a number of local shops.
Want to learn more? Here’s a primer on everything you need to know about fishing Cherokee, NC, and check out an insider’s perspective in this interview with Team USA fly fishing champion Michael Bradley.
Cherokee’s Annual Opening Day Fishing Tournament
Compete in the rivers on the Qualla Boundary (excluding the 2.2 miles of catch-and-release waters) for tagged fish ranging from $25 up to $5,000 at Cherokee's Annual Opening Day Fishing Tournament. Redeem tagged fish for cash prizes at the Natural Resources Enforcement Office, 517 Sequoyah Trail (off Hwy 441). Prize redemption will run from 4-6 pm each day of the tournament.
When: Saturday, March 27 to Sunday, March 28
Purse: $20,000 in tagged fish
Entry: $15 entry fee and a $17 two-day fishing permit
Location: Cherokee Enterprise Waters. View the full map at FishCherokee.com.
Contact: Paula Price | paprice@nc-cherokee.com | 828.359.6110
Cherokee's Memorial Day Trout Tournament
With your $15 entry fee and $17 two-day fishing permit, you can compete for $10,000 in tagged fish within the beautiful freestone streams of Cherokee, NC; only the 2.2 miles of catch-and-release waters are excluded. Redeem tagged fish for cash prizes at the Natural Resources Enforcement Office, 517 Sequoyah Trail (off Hwy 441). Prize redemption will run from 4-6 pm each day of the tournament.
When: Saturday, May 29 to Sunday, May 30
Purse: $10,000
Entry: $15 entry fee and $17 two-day fishing permit
Location: Cherokee Enterprise Waters, Cherokee, NC 28719
Contact: Paula Price | paprice@nc-cherokee.com | 828.359.6110
The Tim Hill Memorial Trout Tournament
The Tim Hill Memorial Trout Tournament honors a longtime employee at the EBCI hatchery, Tim Hill, who passed away far too soon. $10,000 in tagged fish will be stocked in the rivers all across the Qualla Boundary (excluding the 2.2 miles of catch-and-release waters), and can be redeemed at the Natural Resources Enforcement Office from 4-6 pm each day of the tournament.
When: Saturday, July 24 to Sunday, July 25
Purse: $10,000 in tagged fish
Entry fee: $15 entry fee and a $17 two-day fishing permit
Location: Cherokee Enterprise Waters, Cherokee, NC 28719
Contact: Paula Price | paprice@nc-cherokee.com | 828.359.6110
The Qualla Country Trout Tournament
Take home the summer’s biggest trout (excluding the 2.2 miles of catch-and-release waters) and compete for your share of $20,000 in tagged fish at the Qualla Country Trout Tournament. Redeem tagged fish from 4 to 6 pm each day of the tournament at the Natural Resources Enforcement Office.
When: Saturday, September 4 to Sunday, September 5
Purse: $20,000 in tagged fish
Entry fee: $15 entry fee and a $17 two-day fishing permit
Location: Cherokee Enterprise Waters, Cherokee, NC 28719
Contact: Paula Price | paprice@nc-cherokee.com | 828.359.6110